I am a 5’11 guy who used to weigh 150 pounds a few years ago. My starting weight a week ago was 207 pounds. Today I am 202 pounds. I used to wear medium sized shirts and a week ago my large size shirts were getting tight. That was the last straw. Been doing 16:8 everyday. For me personally it’s not that hard actually. I eat a decent dinner and then don’t eat again until lunch the next day. No snacks just water. I used to eat almost a whole other meal around midnight but have managed to stop that so far. A fasting app is helping a lot. And I have never been hungry after waking up in the morning my whole life so that hasn’t been a problem. In addition to fasting I am also counting calories. I have gone from 207-202 pounds and this actually feels like the first weight loss method in my life that I could stick to. Any advice?
Take a day off in a week to eat whatever you like.
Dates are great to supplement sugar craving.
Once you start to understand that good is only fuel for you, it’ll curb you hunger.
Sometimes it’s okay to give in and eat, it’s a long process and you’ll probably never stop doing it.
If you have any health issues though, talk to a doctor first; you’ll be depriving your body of a lot of vitamins and minerals.
Drink a lot of water and black coffee helps with hunger pangs. Staying up late almost always makes you want to eat, so if it can be helped, go to bed early.
Good luck to us all.
My journey was about the same as yours - 5’11 guy who hit almost 200 lb and said I’m done, gotta fix this. I do 16:8 every day now with occasional 23:1 - I actually find the 23:1 mentally easier than 16:8. Once I decide not to eat on a day I just keep working, drinking coffee or tea and keep going until dinner. For me it’s harder to eat a little than just to decide not to eat.
You might get some headaches the first few times you are fasting - normal as your body adjusts to its new regime. These will disappear after a few times of fasting.
Fundamentally you should be thinking about why you are eating. Are you actually hungry, or is it stress eating, or habitual eating, or not wanting to miss out on the last piece of cake, or something else? I’ve found that slowing down and thinking about why you are eating has also helped me a lot.
Good luck on your journey - it’s very do-able!